CARNAVAL, CANNABIS AND CEPHALOPODS . . . KQED LIVE’S NEW SCHEDULE RINGS IN SPRING WITH AN ECLECTIC ARRAY OF EVENTS THAT BRING THE STATION’S REPORTING AND PROGRAMMING TO LIFE; LINE-UP FEATURES THE RETURN OF THE ANNUAL TASTE & SIP EVENT
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — KQED released its spring schedule for KQED Live. Primarily hosted in KQED’s redesigned San Francisco headquarters, KQED Live brings the best of the station’s journalism and programming to life on stage through a variety of lively and insightful programs offered in-person and accessible online. The new schedule features an eclectic roster of programs that run the gamut — from conversations about the future of cannabis and how satellites can help you prepare for wildfires, to interactive wrestling and dance workshops — as well as the return of the station’s popular Taste & Sip event, among many others.
In Dialogue
The schedule kicks off on April 13 with a conversation with Leafly Senior Editor David Downs and a panel of cannabis professionals on the future of California’s emerging industry. For Wildfires from Space (April 26), KQED climate reporters will share satellite images that reveal a whole new perspective on our increasingly regular climate disasters. On April 30 we’ll celebrate Carnaval with San Francisco Carnaval Executive Director Rodrigo Ehecatl Durán about how this annual tradition uplifts diverse Latinx roots. Earlier in the day, we’ll host the Carnaval San Francisco King & Queen Competition to crown the reigning dancers of this year’s festival. On May 5, bestselling author Anna Malaika Tubbs will join her husband Michael Tubbs, the youngest mayor of any American city, to show the ways that mothers have and can shape social and political movement.
Music, Storytelling, Arts and Food
Rocky Rivera’s music mixes social justice, feminism and hip-hop on The Commons stage with DJ Rosa on April 15. Bring a pair of comfortable shoes on June 1 when dancers from KQED’s If Cities Could Dance video series provide a screening of the new season, as well as host a dance party and tutorial for all-levels that includes Voguing, Boogaloo and Bollywood on June 1. Keep dancing on June 16 for Mighty Real: A Queer Dance Music History, a discussion and dance party hosted by KQED Arts reporter Nastia Voynovskaya that leads us through the history of Bay Area LGBTQ innovations to dance music in honor of Pride Month. Things get a little rough and tumble on June 2 for WrestleMedia I. Stars from the Bay Area’s underground wrestling scene will offer a rare glimpse of what really goes on beyond the mat, as well as a hands-on tutorial for some of their signature moves.
KQED Food Editor Luke Tsai and Check Please! Bay Area’s Cecilia Phillips share some of the Bay Area’s best Taiwanese food with some illustrated accompaniment by comic artist Thien Pham and tastes from the chef-owners of Hén-Zhì and Good to Eat Dumplings on May 19. Comic lovers should also circle June 23 on their calendars when graphic novelist and performer Baruch Porras-Hernandez hosts ¿Dónde Están Mis Superhéroes?, a special event that celebrates Latinx and queer superheroes. Come in your own superhero costume for this live-narrated multimedia adaptation of his new graphic novel ¡ESPECTACULAR!. And on June 30, the Bay Area Chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association and KQED Live celebrate AAPI cultures with Hella Asian, an evening of live storytelling and performances reflecting the experiences and creative voices of local AAPI journalists and communities.
Screenings
Comedian Irene Tu hosts a rousing evening of storytelling about the high stakes of educational achievement in the Bay Area with Surviving the High School Grind, featuring highlights from the new Independent Lens documentary Try Harder! about life as a student at local academic pressure-cooker Lowell High School. On May 12 students who participated in the “Rethink School With MindShift” Youth Media Challenge will share their projects and visions for improving their school systems. On June 10, KQED’s popular video series Deep Look joins producers for NPR’s Science Friday for an up-close look at nature’s most mysterious and misunderstood cephalopods.
Podcasts & Radio Onstage
On May 3, the Political Breakdown team joins San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin to discuss yet another recall effort. KQED Live goes outdoors on June 11 for walking tour of San Francisco’s iconic Japanese Tea Garden with actress Sango Tajima and the Bay Curious team.
The Return of Taste & Sip
KQED’s signature food program Check, Please! Bay Area has celebrated the variety of the Bay Area’s unparalleled food scene with it’s annual Taste & Sip event. The popular event, which was upended the past two years due to the pandemic, is returning as part of the KQED Live schedule on June 27. This delicious Bay Area tradition returns to the multi-tiered confines of the Galleria in San Francisco. Join CPBA host Leslie Sbrocco to toast and sample delicacies from over 50 restaurants that have been featured on the show over the years.
